冷笑话

• Pinyin: lěng xiào huà
• Hanzi breakdown: 冷 (cold) + 笑话 (joke) -> joke with a chilly, dry effect.

Meaning

冷笑话 means a dry, corny, or intentionally flat joke.

It often creates humor through awkwardness, puns, or an unexpectedly low-energy punchline. Reactions may include groans, silence, or delayed laughter.

Examples

1. 他讲了个冷笑话，会议室安静三秒。 He told a 冷笑话, and the meeting room went quiet for three seconds.
2. 这个冷笑话太土，我反而笑了。 This 冷笑话 is so cheesy, I laughed anyway.
3. 别把冒犯人的话叫冷笑话。 Don't call offensive remarks 冷笑话.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, puns, ice-breaking

Tone: dry, corny, intentionally awkward

Do Say

• 谐音梗很尬可说冷笑话。（It fits dry pun humor.）
• 破冰时讲冷笑话要看场合。（Use it carefully for ice-breaking.）

Don't Say

• 把伤人的话包装成冷笑话。（It should not excuse offense.）

Common Mistakes

• Do not expect 冷笑话 to mean a joke about cold weather.

Origin & History

The “cold” image describes jokes that do not create warm immediate laughter.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020s

Generation: Broad casual speakers

Social background: Everyday social and school contexts

Regional notes: Common across Mainland China.